Electromechanical slip rings for a foldable display device

ABSTRACT

A foldable touch screen display device made up of flexible segments that can be folded from a compact state to an expanded state which also includes electromechanical slip rings. The form factor of the compact state is roughly the size of a typical handheld phone or smaller. The form factor of the expanded state is roughly the size of a larger phone or tablet computer, which may also have the size and mechanical functionality of a laptop. The device form factor may also be a flip phone configuration. Both folded states may include an integrated speaker and microphone. The electromechanical slip rings are utilized to provide multiple electrical connections between the device&#39;s display segments and their respective support structures. The device may further include sensors to indicate the position of each display segment. In one embodiment, a module attached to, situated within, or otherwise associated with at least one segment of the flexible display or rigid display may contain all or substantially all processing and memory, along with a communications system, which may be used in any folded state.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/133,292, filed on Jan. 1, 2021, which is incorporatedin its entirety herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to computing devices, and moreparticularly, to a computing device with a touch screen display that canbe folded from a compact state to an expanded state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of handheld computing devices today has been significantlyenabled by a number of advancements in electronics, including theminiaturization of components, an increase in processing speeds,improved memory capacity, and the optimization of battery efficiency.Advancements in touch screen display technology have also enabledinterfaces to become more adaptable and intuitive to use on a smallscale. Because of these enormous improvements over the last decade, thedifferences in the performance between handheld computing devices, suchas mobile phones, and larger computing devices, have become increasinglysubtle.

One of the great difficulties in using a small-scale touch screendevice, however, is in the fact that it can often be cumbersome tophysically interact with. This is especially apparent when selecting andmanipulating features and inputting text, which can sometimes beimprecise for a user. In such handheld computing devices as a touchscreen mobile phone, the limited size of the display can alsosignificantly reduce the viewing capacity while watching videos, usinggraphic intensive applications, and reading text. The rigid nature of astandard touch screen display can also limit the portability of a devicewhen its form factor is in the larger size range for a phone, or at thescale of a tablet, which makes folding a desirable feature.Additionally, because a foldable device fundamentally has a hingemechanism located between the two display segment's structural supports,it is challenging to connect the electronics from one structural supportto the other. Flexible circuits are the most common method for makingthese electronic connections, however, over time flexible circuits canwear away and stop functioning once the device is folded enough times.

There is therefore a need for touch screen display devices that can beadjusted in size without sacrificing the convenience of being compact orhandheld. There is also a need for electromechanical slip ringmechanisms to provide electrical connections between the electronicshoused in the respective structural supports of a foldable device's twodisplay segments. As the usage of foldable devices becomes morepervasive, and more apps integrate the folding of the device as part oftheir function, more folds per day per unit will lead to the disfunctionof standard flexible circuit connections making slip rings a viablealternative solution.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A foldable touch screen display device made up of flexible segments thatcan be folded from a compact state to an expanded state which alsoincludes electromechanical slip rings. The form factor of the compactstate is roughly the size of a typical handheld phone or smaller. Theform factor of the expanded state is roughly the size of a larger phoneor tablet computer, which may also have the size and mechanicalfunctionality of a laptop. The device form factor may also be a flipphone configuration. Both folded states may include an integratedspeaker and microphone. The electromechanical slip rings are utilized toprovide multiple electrical connections between the device's displaysegments and their respective support structures. The device may furtherinclude sensors to indicate the position of each display segment. In oneembodiment, a module attached to, situated within, or otherwiseassociated with at least one segment of the flexible display or rigiddisplay may contain all or substantially all processing and memory,along with a communications system, which may be used in any foldedstate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification.The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation,together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following detailed description when readwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electromechanical slip ring mechanismfor a foldable computing device shown in two separate positions, thefirst position shows the device in an unfolded state, and the secondposition shows the device in a folded state.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the electromechanical slip ring mechanismfrom FIG. 1 with its hinge housing and sections of its two flexibledisplay segments and their respective structural support shown in anunfolded and folded state.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electromechanical slip ring mechanismfor a foldable computing device shown in two separate positions, thefirst position shows the device in an unfolded state, and the secondposition shows the device in a folded state.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the electromechanical slip ring mechanismfrom FIG. 3 with its hinge housing and sections of its two flexibledisplay segments and their respective structural support shown in anunfolded and folded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that thepresent invention may be practiced without these specific details. Inother instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have notbeen described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

Although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard,discussions utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing,”“computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “establishing”, “analyzing”,“checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) ofa computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or otherelectronic computing device, that manipulates and/or transforms datarepresented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within thecomputer's registers and/or memories into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computer's registersand/or memories or other information non-transitory storage medium thatmay store instructions to perform operations and/or processes. Althoughembodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard, the terms“plurality” and “a plurality” as used herein may include, for example,“multiple” or “two or more”. The terms “plurality” or “a plurality” maybe used throughout the specification to describe two or more components,devices, elements, units, parameters, or the like. Unless explicitlystated, the method embodiments described herein are not constrained to aparticular order or sequence. Additionally, some of the described methodembodiments or elements thereof can occur or be performedsimultaneously, at the same point in time, or concurrently.

In accordance with the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , anelectromechanical slip ring mechanism 11 for a foldable computing deviceis shown in two separate positions 50 and 51. In position 50, slip ringmechanism 11 is shown in a position that corresponds to the unfoldedstate of a foldable device, and below in position 51, slip ringmechanism 11 is shown in a position that corresponds to the folded stateof a foldable device. In position 51, slip ring 33 is shown rotated suchthat its connection slot 16 is facing upward while its segment inputconnection 15 is positioned to be parallel with the same plane as itscorresponding segment which is positioned in the unfolded state flatagainst the ground plane. Slip ring 33 is also concentrically connectedto spur gear 30 which is driven by the movement of its correspondingsegment. Similarly, slip ring 35, which is located opposite slip ring33, is positioned such that its connection slot 17 is also facing upwardwhile its segment input connection 18 is positioned parallel to the sameplane as its corresponding segment which is positioned in the unfoldedstate along the ground plane. Slip ring 35 is concentrically connectedto spur gear 31 which is driven by the movement of its correspondingsegment. Pin 19 is utilized to provide an electromechanical connectionbetween slip ring 33 and 35 allowing a continuous electrical connectionto be made while the device is free to rotate from a folded to anunfolded state. The full electrical connection travels from segmentinput connection 15 through slip ring 33 to connection slot 16, and thento pin 19, to connection slot 17, to slip ring 35, and then finally tosegment input connection 18. Also shown and situated behind slip rings33 and 35 are a series of slip rings that represent multiple electricalconnections. Multiple electrical connections could also be run through asingle slip ring assembly with multiple slots and pins if necessary, toreduce the overall space that the connections makeup within the device.It is also important to note that the pin used to connect two slip ringscould be affixed to one slip ring which would then connect and slidewithin a slot located on a second slip ring. This would eliminate theneed for having two slots to make a single connection.

In position 51, electromechanical slip ring assembly 11 is showncorresponding to a foldable device's folded state. In this case, slipsrings 33 and 35 are shown pointing downward while their respectivesegment input connections 15 and 18, where each segment's relativeelectronic connections are connected through, are positioned upward suchthat they are parallel with each of their respective segment'sstructural supports as they are positioned in the folded state. This isfurther illustrated in FIG. 2 , where segment structural support 36 isshown on the left side connected to spur gear 30 and slip ring 33, whilesegment structural support 38 is shown on the right side connected tospur gear 31 and slip ring 35. A flexible display 39 is shown at the topof the foldable device attached to segment structural supports 36 and38. The hinge housing 13 is used to support the electromechanical slipring assembly 11. It is also important to note that while theembodiments show a single flexible display with two display segments, arigid cover display may also be included with the device, and two rigidtiled display segments may also be integrated instead of having aflexible display. The device may also have different display aspectratios such that it takes on a flip phone form factor.

Shown in FIG. 3 is an embodiment of an electromechanical slip ringassembly 37, which utilizes slips rings 55 and 57 to provide theelectrical connection between the device's segment structural supports.In this embodiment, slip rings 55 and 57 are concentrically connectedand utilize a more standard slip ring configuration where an electricalrotary connection is made between both slip rings such that a constantforce is applied from one electrical connection to the other as the sliprings rotate in opposite directions to each other. Position 71corresponds with a foldable device's unfolded state, while position 73corresponds with a foldable device's folded state. Similar to theembodiment shown in FIG. 1 , electromechanical slip ring assembly 37also has segment input connections 15 and 18, which can be seenconnected to segment structural supports 36 and 38 respectively fromFIG. 4 in positions 75 and 77, which correspond with positions 71 and73. These structural supports also include an attached flexible display39. A third embodiment that could be implemented would be in havingcircular slip rings that are concentrically located with each gear,similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , but with their electricalconnections situated on their outside edges such that their connectionsare constantly in contact with each other as the mating slip ringsrotate alongside each other.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, andequivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is,therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended tocover all such modifications and changes that fall within the truespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: (a) a flexibletouch-sensitive display composed of a first flexible touch-sensitivedisplay portion and a second flexible touch-sensitive display portion;wherein: (1) the first flexible touch-sensitive display portion isattached to a first structural support segment; (2) the second flexibletouch-sensitive display portion is attached to a second structuralsupport segment; (3) the flexible touch-sensitive display furthercomprises having a fully folded state; (4) the flexible touch-sensitivedisplay further comprises having a partially expanded state; (5) theflexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fullyexpanded state; (b) an electromechanical slip ring electronicallyconnecting the first and second flexible touch-sensitive displaystructural support segments such that as the apparatus is folded, thefolding motion of the apparatus activates the rotational motion of theelectromechanical slip ring.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: theelectromechanical slip ring includes a pin and a slot.
 3. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein; the first structural support segment and the secondstructural support segment are connected by a hinge and a sleevestructure that houses the hinge.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:the electromechanical slip ring is mechanically connected to at leastone structural support segment and supported by the hinge sleevestructure.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: the electromechanicalslip ring is mechanically connected to a spur gear and the spur gear ismechanically connected to at least one structural support segment; andthe electromechanical slip ring and spur gear are supported by the hingesleeve structure.
 6. An apparatus comprising: (a) a rigidtouch-sensitive display; (b) a flexible touch-sensitive display composedof a first flexible touch-sensitive display portion and a secondflexible touch-sensitive display portion; wherein: (1) the firstflexible touch-sensitive display portion is attached to a firststructural support segment; (2) the second flexible touch-sensitivedisplay portion is attached to a second structural support segment; (3)the flexible touch-sensitive display further comprises having a fullyfolded state; (4) the flexible touch-sensitive display further compriseshaving a partially expanded state; (5) the flexible touch-sensitivedisplay further comprises having a fully expanded state; (c) anelectromechanical slip ring electronically connecting the first andsecond flexible touch-sensitive display structural support segments suchthat as the apparatus is folded, the folding motion of the apparatusactivates the rotational motion of the electromechanical slip ring. 7.The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the electromechanical slip ringincludes a pin and a slot.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: thefirst structural support segment and the second structural supportsegment are connected by a hinge and a sleeve structure that houses thehinge.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: the electromechanical slipring is mechanically connected to at least one structural supportsegment and supported by the hinge sleeve structure.
 10. The apparatusof claim 8 wherein: the electromechanical slip ring is mechanicallyconnected to a spur gear and the spur gear is mechanically connected toat least one structural support segment; and the electromechanical slipring and spur gear are supported by the hinge sleeve structure.
 11. Anapparatus comprising: (a) a first touch-sensitive display and a secondtouch-sensitive display; wherein: (1) the first touch-sensitive displayis attached to a first structural support segment; (2) the secondtouch-sensitive display is attached to a second structural supportsegment; (3) the touch-sensitive displays further comprise having afully folded state; (4) the touch-sensitive displays further comprisehaving a partially expanded state; (b) an electromechanical slip ringelectronically connecting the first and second flexible touch-sensitivedisplay structural support segments such that as the apparatus isfolded, the folding motion of the apparatus activates the rotationalmotion of the electromechanical slip ring.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11wherein: the electromechanical slip ring includes a pin and a slot. 13.The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the first structural support segmentand the second structural support segment are connected by a hinge and asleeve structure that houses the hinge.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13wherein: the electromechanical slip ring is mechanically connected to atleast one structural support segment and supported by the hinge sleevestructure.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein: the electromechanicalslip ring is mechanically connected to a spur gear and the spur gear ismechanically connected to at least one structural support segment; andthe electromechanical slip ring and spur gear are supported by the hingesleeve structure.